Coatesville, PA (December 16, 2011) - Today, City Manager Gary Rawlings announces a new program that will allow residents to report quality-of-life issues and request city services through an online and mobile interface. Powered by SeeClickFix, the place-based reporting platform allows residents to document neighborhood concerns and improvements alike, ranging from potholes and graffiti to illegal dumping and snow removal.

“With this emerging technology, the City of Coatesville hopes to further manage and foster a safe and vibrant community for all who inhabit and visit our city,” Rawlings said. “We’re hoping this partnership emphasizes the importance we place on communicating with those we serve and responding to constituent concerns in an efficient and public manner.”

With the online and mobile reporting platform, residents can report quality-of-life concerns through service request categories via the Coatesville website, custom mobile applications (iPhone, Android, Blackberry), Facebook App, and SeeClickFix.com. When submitting issues via mobile app, for example, residents can provide locational, descriptive, and photographic information as they see the issue in real time. Once the resident submits an issue, the reporter, Coatesville, and anyone ‘watching’ the area will receive an alert. The town can then acknowledge the service request, route it to the proper department, and update the request—and residents following the issue—once it’s been resolved.

The partnership allows residents to not only report community issues, but also view, comment on, and vote to fix problems submitted by their neighbors. Citizens can even create their own “watch areas” to receive notifications about all issues reported in their community, enabling them to follow the progress of all service requests---not just the ones they report.

“As the years progress, more and more communities are bridging that gap between offline and online engagement through digital tools like SeeClickFix,” said Ben Berkowitz, SeeClickFix CEO. “The City of Coatesville serves as an excellent example of government harnessing these technological advances to connect with citizens and solve real problems in the public space.”

The Coatesville SeeClickFix website can be found here: http://www.coatesville.org/report-an-issue-with-coatesville and residents can download iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps here: http://www.seeclickfix.com/apps.

About SeeClickFix

SeeClickFix allows citizens anywhere in the world to report and monitor non-emergency community issues ranging from potholes and planted trees to garbage and graffiti. Launched in 2008, it empowers citizens, community groups, media organizations, and governments to work together and improve their neighborhoods. Through mobile web, web, iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps, the SeeClickFix platform is the most widely-distributed citizen reporting tool in the country. SeeClickFix supports the Open311 standard that promotes improved communication between local municipalities and the citizens they serve. The platform is fun and easy to use for citizens while being inexpensive and easily adaptable for governments. Over 60 percent of issues reported on SeeClickFix are ultimately resolved. For more information or to report an issue, visit www.seeclickfix.com.

Beginning in December, the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) is expanding the options available to residents, businesses and visitors alike for requesting services and reporting non-emergency problems.

SeeClickFix allows citizens to report and monitor non-emergency issues, such as a missed recycling pick up. Launched in 2008, SeeClickFix empowers citizens, community groups, media organizations and governments to work together and improve their neighborhoods.

Through the SeeClickFix website and a variety of smartphone apps, the SeeClickFix platform is the most widely distributed citizen reporting tool in the country. The platform is not only fun and easy to use, it also promotes improved communication between citizens and their local governments.

“With this expansive and public platform, residents can directly communicate concerns to the ACUA and more actively participate in resolving issues,” said Rick Dovey, ACUA president. “Through this system, we are improving the way we address customer service issues,” Dovey added.

When submitting issues via mobile app, residents have the ability to provide a detailed description, use their smartphone GPS to accurately locate, and even attach a photo of the issue. A service request is generated and updates on the case are sent automatically to the community about the service request’s progress. With a few clicks, the problem can be on its way to resolution.

SeeClickFix also allows residents to view, comment on, vote to fix and even share on social media, the service requests. They can even create their own “watch areas” to receive notifications about all issues reported in their community, enabling them to follow the progress of all service requests—not just the ones they report.

“SeeClickFix provides a social platform for exchanging information and engaging individuals,” said Dovey. “From Atlantic City to Hammonton and from Port Republic to Corbin City, citizens can become empowered to connect with each other and the ACUA over problems that affect them in very direct ways,” Dovey noted.

Look for SeeClickFix on ACUA’s website and Facebook page in mid-December. Download the mobile apps here.

Sponsored by the Connecticut Technology Council (CTC), the Fifth Annual Innovation Pipeline Awards recently honored SeeClickFix with its 'Most Promising New Internet/New Media Company of the Year' award. This year, the CTC selected approximately 65 companies for its "CT Tech Companies to Watch," which celebrates the most promising early stage and emerging technology companies in Connecticut identified by the CTC as having the best potential to be a successful enterprise. Among the companies, five (including SeeClickFix) received awards in their given category from new media to life sciences. Luckily, we've acquired some footage of SeeClickFix co-founder and CSO Kam Lasater accepting the award below. Enjoy!

To celebrate the end of an exciting year at SeeClickFix, and to help close out 2011 with lots of newly closed issues, we are hosting our inaugural PhotoFix competition here in New Haven! Residents and shutterbugs (both amateur and pro) are encouraged to join us from November 28th through December 2nd and compete to take home various honors including the title of PhotoFix Champion!

We’ll be ranking competitors on number of points earned, most photos added to open issues, most issues closed with pictures of the fix, and, of course, the best photograph added to both an open issue and a closed issue. The competition starts Monday, November 28th and you can start searching for issues without photos by navigating to SeeClickFix.com/New-Haven. Points will be awarded based on the following criteria:

• Reporting new issue with photo- 1pt
• Adding photo to issue- 2pts
• Closing issue with photo - 3pts


PhotoFix awards include honors for uploading the most photos (Snapshot Award) and closing the most issues with corresponding photo (Fixer-Upper Award). The person with the most points overall will be
dubbed the PhotoFix Champion. In addition to honed artistic skills and a cleaned-up community, the PhotoFix Champion will earn serious bragging rights and their profile crowned with the first of many
soon-to-launch SeeClickFix badges!



Ready to tell issues in your community “Say Cheese!”? Sign up today! Registration for the SeeClickFix PhotoFix competition is open through November 26th. If you don’t already have one, you must sign up for a SeeClickFix account so our team can track your progress. With your account you can report and update issues via mobile app, SeeClickFix.com, our Facebook app, or through widgets embedded on sites such as the New Haven Register. Make sure you (and all of your photographer friends!) click here and sign up by November 26th!

A few months back, we told you about SubSeries' partnership with our citizen-reporting platform. This initiative serves as a sequence of design conversations that brings together architects, planners, artists, and writers to produce visionary drawings that radically re-imagine the public space of eleven New York City subway stations. The year-long project is curated by Baukunst, the design partnership of Elizabeth Lasater and Nico Weiss, and documented in a recently completed cataloge of drawings and essays.

This Saturday (November 19th), the SubSeries Team will be hosting a "Night School" event at Columbia University's Studio-X (180 Varick Street). The format with include a tour of several subway stations and discussion followed by a mini design workshop. This coincides with the completion of their 100+ SubSeries catalogue (an online edition can be found here). If you're in the NYC area this weekend, you should definitely check out this excellent project.

Original Post on CTNewsJunkie.com

Are you having a problem at your polling place? You can keep your neighbors and key public officials informed about voting irregularities by publicly documenting them in real time here with SeeClickFix and CTNewsJunkie. The map below is designed to help you report problems experienced during voting. It is not a way to report life-threatening emergencies — just problems casting your ballot.

Click on “Report an Issue” and drag the marker to the rough location of your polling place in your town, and then click “Report Here” to fill out the form. The address does not need to be exact, but be sure to list the name of your polling place in your report.

Do not include your personal information in your report unless you are OK with that information being published on the Internet and visible to readers here.

For information on Connecticut’s voting identification requirements, click here.

Click here for the Voter’s Bill of Rights.

For Spanish language forms and voting requirements for people with disabilities, click here.

Remember, if for some reason your name was omitted from the list of registered voters in your town, request a provisional ballot and vote before you leave your polling place.

If you would like to contact the Secretary of the State Denise Merrill’s office directly about your problem, you can call 860-509-6100 or email them here. The Secretary’s office will be monitoring issues reported here. If you feel you have spoken to everyone available at your polling place and still need to file a formal complaint, notify the moderator at your polling place, and then call Elections Enforcement at 866-733-2463 (Press 1 or stay on the line). The U.S. Dept. of Justice can be reached at 1-800-253-3931.

When you report an issue below, include your first name, polling place, and any or all of the following keywords in your report to be sure it gets through to the right people: voting vote “polling place” “election day” poll election ballot ballots “missing ballots” “missing ballot”

Note: The Office of the Secretary of State will be monitoring issues reported through SeeClickFix via watch area; email notifications will be forwarded to elections@ct.gov.

With Election Day just around the corner (read: Tuesday),  Ivan Lajara (@ivanlajara) of the Kingston Daily Freeman recently discussed making an 'Election Day Problems Widget' using SeeClickFix. We thought this was such an interesting application of our technology and wanted to share it with you here. From long lines to glitchy machines, there's always something happening at your polling place. This year, keep both your neighbors and public officials informed about voting irregularities by publicly documenting them in real time. From news outlets to community organizations, anyone can create his or her very-own Election Day Map with a few easy clicks.

1. Go to SeeClickFix.com/widget and click "Generate a Map Widget Now!"
2. On the "Create a Map Widget" page, you'll be able to set the preferences for your widget from inputting the correct location to creating the desired widget dimensions. As Ivan states, you should make the primary tab the "Report Form" to encourage more individuals to submit voting issues.

Under "Options," you'll see the section entitled "Filter by Keyword." This allows you to only display issues containing certain keywords or phrases on your map. For instance, you might consider filtering for the following: voting vote "polling place" "election day" poll election.
Similarly, you can also create a "Default Issue Summary" for the widget. With this option, the report form would feature a suggested summary when users report issues through the widget. For example, you could make the default issue summary "Voting Problem" or "Election Day Issue." Finish completing the form and input your contact information.
3. Click "Create Widget" and embed the code onto your website (as we did below).
4. Spread the word! Make sure your audience knows they can highlight any issues they encounter on Election Day directly on your website.

By Jeff Mooney, Partnership Director at SeeClickFix

When speaking with different cities about our Connect and CRM Plus services, I see firsthand the different ways citizens use SeeClickFix to engage with their local municipality and each other. Over this past weekend, we had an early snowstorm in New England that has caused quite a few problems. In the midst of all the power outages, downed trees, and debris, there was one post that jumped out at me. Reported just three days ago through Courant.com, Issue #136357 - dumping greatly diminished due to new park stated that "a parcel of wasteland now a new park near the design center has practically eliminated a huge dumping problem." So far, it has been viewed by 16 people and another user, Brendan, closed the issue and encouraged the initial reporter to call 311 with her gratitude. This got me thinking, what has your city/town recently resolved that you want to highlight as a job well done? SeeClickFix works to improve communities across the globe and you can easily share your posting via Twitter (@SeeClickFix) and Facebook.

I received an email yesterday from a New Havener excited for the coming start-up weekend. He has an idea for a mobile application that will tie in with a previously developed local mapping resource. His question was around the feasibility of building the project in 1 weekend and if it should be a native app.

The app that he is looking to build can easily be built in a weekend by a junior web developer thanks to the google maps API. It does not need to be a native mobile app thanks to javascript, gmaps v3 and html5.  Its that same API that I was able to create a proof of concept and questionably minimum viable product version of SeeClickFix.  Really Kam and Jeff created the MVP but I got pretty close with amateur developer skills.  Our use of that API and the growth of SeeClickFix has but us in the thankful but sometimes uncomfortable position of being one of the .35 Percent of platforms (Those with more than 25K map loads/day) that will have to pay google for their API service come January. (A blog on dependance on open API's coming soon)

In the email there were questions about the business viability of the product and I wanted to address that more thoroughly here:

Startup weekend is about sitting down and putting your time (at least one weekend) where your mouth is.  Its about doing the same thing that the SeeClickFix founders and so many like us did when they launched their ideas.  Startup weekend is a great place for those with a hunch to create the test. Do you have a hunch that your idea might improve someone else's life or fill the demand of a business or organization?    No business plan or financial modeling will tell you 100% if you're right so why not build it? Why not do it at start up weekend?

SeeClickFix was only a thought 4 years ago this Thanksgiving. Today it is in the top 1% of websites making use of the googlemaps API. We had a hunch that we would scale. We didn't know for sure if it would have a revenue model or if we even wanted to quit our day jobs and make a business of it. We did know that SeeClickFix would solve a problem for at least one of the founders was having. In about 4 hours we had a product that allowed our friends to share their insight in the value. In three months, with 4 co-founders all with other day jobs, we had a minimum viable project for others to use that proved our hunch correct.

Since the launch of SCF we've had many more hunches about what would be useful. We are constantly reminding ourselves to not be over certain of our hunches without testing. We try to remind ourselves to 'release early and often' and learn from where we were right or wrong...just like an experiment.  None of this is ground breaking for those in start-ups but it may be for those attending a start-up weekend for the first time.  This process is relatively unfamiliar to the traditional business world.

My thoughts for start-up weekenders and potential start-up weekenders:

1) This is not a business competition this is a science experiment.
2) Don't over think things. Worry about solving one problem no matter how simple.
3) If you're having fun, you like your team and others find what you've built useful set a recurring meeting time to work on the project every weekend.
4)We are arguably in one of the greatest periods of innovation in history.  The amount of possibilities for creation has increased exponentially in the past 15 years and you should be a part of it. You're great grandparents would be jealous and your great grand children may be too.

-Ben

To find Start-Up Weekends near you: http://startupweekend.org/

Need to report a neighborhood problem such as graffiti or illegal building? There’s an app for that. Walnut Creek residents can now report code violations through their smartphone or online, thanks to a new program called SeeClickFix.

Residents simply snap a photo of the problem, then submit it along with a description of the problem and the location.

As soon as the complaint is submitted, the City’s Code Enforcement Division receives an alert. The division will either research the problem or forward the complaint to the proper authority. Once the problem has been resolved, the resident gets a follow-up email.

To download the app, go to SeeClickFix.com/apps. Complaints may also be submitted online at SeeClickFix.com.

The City hopes SeeClickFix will make it easier for residents to partner with Code Enforcement in ensuring the quality of life throughout Walnut Creek, said Housing Manager Laura Simpson, who manages the Code Enforcement Division. In addition to being an easy way to report community issues, SeeClickFix allows residents to view and comment on problems already identified in their neighborhood.

Code Enforcement, part of the Community Development Department, is responsible for enforcing provisions of the City’s Municipal Code that involve quality of life issues such as debris; illegal or unpermitted signs; miscellaneous zoning violations; abandoned vehicles and RV parking complaints; and graffiti.

For more information about Code Enforcement, including other ways to submit complaints, visit Walnut-creek.org/nuisance.

Generally speaking, we don't like being associated with the word "idiot." That being said, we could not have been more excited when SeeClickFix was recently featured in The Complete Idiot's Guide to Crowdsourcing.

Coined in 2006 by Wired writer Jeff Howe, 'crowdsourcing' involves the "new opportunities cropping up due to our interconnected world, vast online communities, and cutting-edge communications tools" (as described by Howe). What does that mean? Tapping the power of many to get things done. And that's exactly what SeeClickFix does.

We like to say that two heads are better than one and 300 heads are better than two. Since the government can't be in all places at all times, SeeClickFix makes it easy and fun for everyone to document concerns in their neighborhoods from potholes and graffiti to planting trees and installing bike racks. With a few clicks of the mouse, you can communicate with your local government officials, media outlets, and fellow neighbors---effecting real, positive change in communities across the globe.

In Chapter 21 "Organizing for Crowd Action," author Aliza Sherman discusses how SeeClickFix fits into this idea of crowdsourcing civic innovation. With platforms like SeeClickFix, individuals can raise awareness about problems and apply pressure to those responsible for resolution. As the author notes, however, crowdsourcing civic innovation can only be as effective as "the city officials or people in positions with the power to implement the ideas and make change happen." Read more about how SeeClickFix harnesses the power of crowds in the excerpt below:

SeeClickFix (seeclickfix.com) encourages citizens to report their concerns about their neighborhoods using their website, mobile applications, voice-mail, and widgets that can be embedded into websites and blogs, pulling in neighborhood maps and pinpointing problems. The site involves citizens, community groups, government, and the media to report and track nonemergency issues anywhere in the world. The site also runs analyses to see how cities around the world respond to citizens requests and reports.

The site taps into the crowd and aggregates input to provide on-the-scene intelligence that no single agency or organization can provide. Bringing issues to the attention of those who can take action and then seeing action taken empowers and engages citizens in new ways. Citizens can also alert others to a problem and set up watch areas to monitor the situation. This could include anything from broken windows and potholes to traffic issues and crime reports. You can help fix a problem by publicly broadcasting the issue to the appropriate parties for resolution. The crowd works together to raise the profile of key concerns or by taking collective and direct action (pg. 286).

This Friday, CityCamp Colorado 2011 will again bring together a great group of people dedicated to enhancing access to government in the Centennial State. SeeClickFix is proud to be a sponsor of this year's participant-driven unconference, organized by Open Colorado.

While the theme of this year's CityCamp Colorado is "Enhancing Access to Government", the topics and discussions are decided by the participants. Open Colorado's Brian Gryth explained the importance of the theme, for both citizens and government, on their blog.

We chose access to government as the theme because citizens are becoming both more engaged and more frustrated with government. Furthermore, they are becoming more active and mobile. Thus, they expect the government to respond to their needs on modern day terms.

Tools such as the internet, social media, smartphones, and others hold the promise of improving government, but it's up to citizens and local governments to utilize these tools and fulfill this promise. Participants at CityCamp Colorado will be discussing how local government can improve access to services, make information easier to find, and create meaningful citizen engagement using modern technology. The organizers at CityCamp Colorado seek to create innovative and practical solutions to make cities and other local communities more open and “user friendly"; clearly a goal near and dear to our collective heart here at SeeClickFix.

The unconference kicks off tomorrow with an hour of Ignite presentations to help spark discussions and ideas for the day. Our very own Jeff Mooney will be attending this year's CityCamp Colorado, as well as giving an Ignite presentation. If you're there, be sure to say hello!

A few weeks ago, SeeClickFix CEO Ben Berkowitz joined fellow leaders and innovators from across the globe for the annual Meeting of the Minds. The two-day event sought to challenge "old paradigms with untold urban sustainability innovations and fresh ideas from around the world." With its reputation in sustainability, Boulder served as the perfect backdrop for this year's conference which focused on the role innovation plays in effecting post-carbon urban environments.

Ben spoke alongside Mayor Ron Littlefield of Chattanooga and John Williams, senior VP of HDR Engineering Inc, on a panel entitled "Sourcing Urban Innovations from the Bottom Up + from the Top Down – Empowering City Dwellers Through Open Source/Smart Apps"---try saying that ten times fast.

Throughout the session, they discussed how innovative organizations (like SeeClickFix) discover new ways to harness the collective knowledge of city dwellers to solve both simple and difficult urban problems from monitoring traffic and pollution to pinpointing potholes and other infrastructure concerns. In the process of employing new technologies, municipalities can engage the public and promote "sustainability, smarter planning, and action-oriented policy dialogue." To learn more about this topic (and see Ben rockin' his sportcoat), check out the session's video below!

This TGIF(ixed) goes out to our furry friends and the SeeClickFixers who love them. When a house cat named Lucy recently went missing in the SOHU neighborhood of New Haven, her owner turned to SeeClickFix to ask neighbors to keep an eye out for the missing feline.

If you see a brown and black cat looking like the one in this picture hiding around your house or backyard, please call... her name is Lucy and she got out of the house on Sunday and has not been able to find her way back.

The SeeClickFix community in Lucy's neighborhood quickly shared the issue on Twitter and posted comments, updates and questions on the original issue. One user even shared a tip on how to help the missing kitty find her way home.
We can't be certain if it was this advice from a fellow user, the help of concerned neighbors, or Lucy's sense of direction, but over a week after she was reported missing Lucy and her owner were reunited!

Inspired by this story and similar issues reported through our platform recently, SCF CEO Ben Berkowitz even created a new website that allows residents in New Haven to report and monitor lost cat issues using SeeClickFix powered reporting tools.  The SeeClickFix team gets excited about ALL issues that are resolved on our site, but this fix is really the cat's meow*!

*Disclaimer: SeeClickFix Community Managers Megan (who spotted this awesome issue!) and Emma are both self-admitted cat ladies.

"We are hoping to leverage this comprehensive platform to increase efficiency when responding to service requests while improving the city's infrastructure and quality of life along the way," Koch said. "And, more important, SeeClickFix will help us empower the citizens we serve and push them to actively engage with each other, their neighborhoods, and us."

Currently, residents can submit requests to the Constituent Service system only through the city's website. With this partnership, however, residents will now be able to use their smartphones when participating with local government. The free SeeClickFix app is available on iPhone, Android, and Blackberry platforms.

For residents, this new tool will enable reporting of service items such as potholes and graffiti in real-time. Once the mobile app is downloaded, a resident can use the app to take a photo of the problem, select a service category, and report it to the city. The app records location information via the phone's GPS capabilities.

Another benefit of this partnership is to strengthen the existing ties SeeClickFix had with the City of Quincy. Residents could previously report issues through SeeClickFix on sites such as Boston.com and Patriotledger.com. Prior to this partnership, however, those requests were not formally logged into the city's system. Now, residents can seamlessly use SeeClickFix to report problems in the same way they had been using the constituent service system on the city's website.

“We’re excited to see how Quincy promotes citizen involvement and enacts offline results with our technology,” said Ben Berkowitz, SeeClickFix CEO. “With our online tool and mobile apps, we place the power directly in the hands of the city’s residents and hope this partnership allows them to realize their full potential as citizens.”

Residents are encouraged to download the mobile app on their smartphone; it can also be found by searching for ‘SeeClickFix.' More information is also available via SeeClickFix.com.

SeeClickFix welcomed a new media partner to the family this week with the launch of our service on Maine's newspaper of record for over a century, Bangor Daily News! The outlet partnered with us to offer a platform by which readers can voice their concerns and advocate for quality-of-life issues to be fixed.

From a left-turn arrow needed in Bangor to neglected roads in Orono, over 130 issues have been reported across Vacationland since Wednesday when Bangor Daily News implemented our reporting tools and introduced SeeClickFix to their readers. Issues can be viewed and submitted through our widgets on their statewide news page, as well as through their regional pages for Portland, Bangor, and Aroostook County. As with all SeeClickFix media partners, issues reported by Bangor Daily News readers can become the focus of stories, features and investigations by journalists covering the region.


In addition to submitting new issues, Bangor Daily News readers can use the new SeeClickFix powered forms to support the concerns of friends and neighbors by sharing comments, voting to fix, adding pictures and more. Citizens who wish to work with their local government to resolve community problems can also use SeeClickFix tools such as our watch area feature. Creating a watch area allows citizens to sign up elected officials or municipal departments to receive email alerts about issues submitted locally, helping everyone to take an active role in improving their community!

SeeClickFix is proud to welcome Bangor Daily News and their readers to our growing community of media outlets and users!

Grande Prairie, AB (October 4, 2011) - Today, Mayor Bill Given announces a new pilot program that will allow residents to report non-emergency issues and request city services through an online and mobile platform.

“This new tool will empower all city residents to actively participate in improving the quality of life and infrastructure in our neighbourhoods,” Given said. “SeeClick-Fix will ensure service requests or concerns get to the right person the first time and allow residents to keep updated on the status of their request."

The City of Grande Prairie will initially use SeeClickFix to accept online service requests for the Transportation Department only. A limited trial will ensure a smooth and efficient implementation once the city decides to expand the service to other departments.

“We [Department of Strategic Services] had been looking at a few alternatives to enable online service requests through our website,” said Shawn Tucker, Web Analyst for Strategic Services. “SeeClickFix was the obvious choice due to excellent support for mobile devices, transparency, simplicity, and interactivity for the user.”

Residents can report common concerns through service request categories via the Grande Prairie website, mobile app, Facebook page, and SeeClickFix.com. They can even create their own “watch areas” to receive notifications about issues reported in their community.

“The Internet has proven to be a powerful tool for connecting individuals over shared concerns. As we expand across North America, we’re excited to see how the City of Grande Prairie harnesses our online technology to make offline results,” said Ben Berkowitz, SeeClickFix CEO. “With our mobile and online platform, citizens become empowered to engage with each other and their local government over problems that affect them in very direct ways.”

Shoreline, WA (October 3, 2011)- Reporting non-emergency issues to the City just got easier! The City is testing a new online reporting tool that will expand how Shoreline residents can report non-emergency issues. Using a smartphone application, residents can report a pothole or other problem to the City without having to search for phone numbers or addresses.

The SeeClickFix application reports problems instantly. It uses GPS to locate the coordinates of the issue and allows residents to take a picture and submit it with their report. Residents can also provide a brief description and contact information in case follow-up is necessary.

When an issue is reported using SeeClickFix, an email is sent to the city department responsible for investigating the issue. Residents can follow the status of their report, along with the status of other reports, on the city's website.

The application is free to download and can be found by searching for "SeeClickFix" in a smartphone's application marketplace. If residents do not have a smartphone, they can submit issues using SeeClickFix directly from the City’s website.

If residents would prefer to speak with someone directly about an issue, they can always call the Customer Response Team at (206) 801-2700 or visit City Hall.

Providing the best customer service possible is a priority at the City of Shoreline. City staff are always looking for ways to improve the ease and convenience for residents in communicating with the City. The SeeClickFix application is at the forefront of resident to local government communication.

Happy Friday, SeeClickFixers! With the seasons changing and our daylight hours dwindling, TGIF(ixed) this week is focused on fixes that have helped shed some light on city streets this week. From burnt-out street lights to broken traffic signals, these newly closed issues have SeeClickFix users saying TGIF(ixed), just in time for the dark winter months.

Although we just announced our partnership with Marshall, Michigan yesterday, the city has been hard at work fixing issues before we shared the good news! On Tuesday, the Marshall Electric Department repaired not one, not two, but three broken streetlights reported to SeeClickFix, one of which had been out since July!

An impossibly short green light in the Annex neighborhood of New Haven was causing serious traffic down a major road. Tired of the bumper-to-bumper conditions caused by the short light, Jean McAulay reported Issue #125326 through the SeeClickFix widget on the New Haven Register website. She wrote:

The green light on Rt. 1, Forbes Avenue, at the intersection of Wheeler street is only on for 15 seconds, causing backups every morning and evening rush hour. In the evening traffic is backed up all the way to the bridge because of this light. This is the only light that stays on for such a short time all the way to Woodward Avenue, and there is never any cross traffic at the light so there is no reason for the green light to be so short when so much traffic backs up!

The Department of Transportation, Traffic and Parking quickly responded to let Jean know that the traffic signal was state controlled. Shortly after, another commenter said that she had passed the complaint along to CT DOT. Friday morning, Jean closed the issue and shared with SeeClickFixers that the traffic light had been fixed!


What better way to start (or end) Friday (or any day, really) than by closing a fixed issue on SeeClickFix? We're not sure either.

Marshall, MI (September 29, 2011) - Today, Director of Public Services Carl Fedders announces a new partnership that will allow residents to report non-emergency issues and request city services through an online and mobile platform. Powered by SeeClickFix, the place-based reporting platform allows residents to document neighborhood concerns and improvements alike, ranging from potholes and graffiti to tree requests and broken streetlights.

“With this comprehensive and accessible platform, we’re able to increase our efficiency when responding to constituent service requests and improve the city’s infrastructure along the way,” Fedders said. “More important, we’re hoping SeeClickFix will empower our citizens to become actively engaged with each other, their neighborhoods, and local government.”

Through SeeClickFix, residents can report quality-of-life concerns through service request categories via the city web site, custom mobile phone applications (iPhone, Android, Blackberry), SeeClickFix.com, and/or the SeeClickFix Facebook app. When submitting issues via mobile app, for example, residents can provide locational, descriptive, and photographic information as they see the issue in real time. Once the resident submits an issue, the reporter, the city, and anyone ‘watching’ the area will receive alerts. The city of Marshall can then acknowledge the service request, route it to the proper department, and update the request—and residents following the issue—once it’s been resolved.

“We expect a very positive response from our citizens because SeeClickFix will not only highlight the city’s emphasis on holding itself accountable, but also help improve the quality of life for citizens,” said Tom Tarkiewicz, City Manager. “It will further enhance the lines of communication between local government and the citizens it serves.

The partnership allows residents to not only report community issues, but also view, comment on, and vote to fix problems submitted by others through SeeClickFix’s interactive maps. Citizens can even create their own “watch areas” to receive notifications about all issues reported in their neighborhood or city, enabling them to follow the progress of all service requests and not just the ones they report.

“We’re excited to see how Marshall promotes citizen involvement and enacts offline results with our technology,” said Ben Berkowitz, SeeClickFix CEO. “With the online and mobile platform, we place the power directly in the hands of the city’s residents.”

The Marshall SeeClickFix website can be found here and residents can download iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps here.

Staff will be presenting more information to City council at the October 3rd work session at six PM inside the council chambers located at 323 W. Michigan Avenue.

About SeeClickFix
SeeClickFix allows citizens anywhere in the world to report and monitor non-emergency community issues ranging from potholes and planted trees to garbage and graffiti. Launched in 2008, it empowers citizens, community groups, media organizations, and governments to work together and improve their neighborhoods. Through mobile web, web, iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps, the SeeClickFix platform is the most widely-distributed citizen reporting tool in the country. The platform is fun and easy to use for citizens while being inexpensive and easily adaptable for governments. Over 40 percent of issues reported on SeeClickFix are ultimately resolved. For more information or to report an issue, visit www.seeclickfix.com.

Street Fight has just announced the line-up for Street Fight Summit, a two-day conference in New York City on October 25-26 where industry leaders from companies like SeeClickFix, Yipit, Foursquare, Gilt City, Patch, and Topix will convene to discuss the burgeoning hyperlocal marketplace.

Our own Kam Lasater (@seekayel), SeeClickFix co-founder, will be a featured speaker at the summit where he will discuss alternative revenue models. With old media trying to figure out how to save their local markets and small indie blogs feeling indignant about corporate media encroaching on their space, all parties have a big stake in the business models that will survive in the hyperlocal marketplace. Attendees of the Street Fight Summit will hear from industry leaders, such as Lasater, who are blazing the path to sustainable hyperlocal business.

Tomorrow afternoon, The Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County and the Fairfield County Community Foundation are hosting a special workshop that the SeeClickFix team would definitely encourage you to check out. "How to Adapt When Everything Around You is Changing: A Nonprofit Organization Survival Guide" will be held on Wednesday, September 21 at 4pm at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, CT.

Brian Reich, author of Shift and Reset: Strategies for Addressing Serious Issues In A Connected Society, will be discussing essential strategies about taking advantage of rapidly changing technologies and new communication techniques in a connected society.  In Shift & Reset, Reich explores and addresses some of the serious issues facing our always-on society. His book also features interviews and essays from over leaders in the communication and technology industries, including our very own Ben Berkowitz.

Think it can't get any better? Well, it can! The event is free and open to the public! Reservations are requested and you can save your spot by sending an R.S.V.P. to info@culturalalliancefc.org or by calling 203-256-2329.

If you are in or around Fairfield County tomorrow afternoon, we definitely recommend checking out this event! 

Cars running a stop sign in Brooklyn, New York. Congestion on a bridge in Portland, Oregon. A deep pothole in Chicago, Illinois. These are three of thousands of issues that have been reported by SeeClickFix users frustrated with the state of our roads. Whether driving on the highway in Washington, DC or riding along a Boston bike lane, it's clear that our users are giving roads failing grades from coast to coast. With this in mind, SeeClickFix is on a mission with Audi of America to smarten up our roads.

This partnership is part of a larger initiative called The Road Frustration Index (RFI). Developed by Audi and the SENSEable City lab at M.I.T, the RFI aims to quantify the many factors that lead to driver frustration - such as traffic, incidents, weather and driver sentiment. Data collected through the RFI will be used to help give motorists a better sense of the driving conditions they face each day in American metropolitan areas.

Not all roads are created equal, and for those frustrated drivers who want to know what city streets are better or worse off than their own will find the Road Frustration Index to be a handy tool.  The RFI allows drivers to see exactly how their city streets stack up compared to roads in other metropolitan areas. Whether you want to compare traffic in Los Angeles and New York City, or size up driver sentiment in Sacramento versus Houston, the RFIs interactive tools make it easy to examine the frustrations drivers around America face on the road every day.


Audi and the SENSEable City lab at M.I.T use real-time data from sources such as Weather.com, Twitter and NAVTEQ to help drivers navigate roads across the country, without having to step foot into a car. The total RFI score for a city can change throughout the course of a day is determined by quantifying incoming data about road conditions.


After you've checked out the RFI score for your city you may be asking "what's next?". This is where SeeClickFix comes in. SeeClickFix believes our partnership with Audi will help empower more people to advocate for their city streets to be fixed. Drivers can publicly report problems they see on-the-go*, helping to transform roads in their community from frustrating to fixed.

Check out the Road Frustration Index and be sure to let us know how your city stacks up. Want to help your hometown earn the bragging rights of being the least frustrating place to drive? Improve the RFI score by reporting that nasty pothole or congested stretch of road to SeeClickFix and help us smarten up the road!

*We love our mobile apps, but do not report on-the-go while driving! Driving and operating a phone is not only frustrating, it's dangerous.

I was struck this week by the geographical distribution of the ten employees of SeeClickFix. In 5 days our small team has been spread over three continents and 10 events helping to spread the word about open government, greater civic participation and the platform that can make it happen.

Last week I attended #Picnic11 in Amsterdam as panelist in a conversation about civic platforms with IStrategy Labs, Code For America and the City of Boston. Today Megan leaves for Bogota, Columbia for her first trip out of the country to speak at Social Media Week Bogota. Kam participated in an event at MIT this weekend, attended an OSF event in NYC last night and is attending and Omidyar event today in NYC. I will be there as well but will also be attending the announcement of the historic Open Government Partnership at Google.  Jeff Mooney is attending the International City Managers Association event in Wisconsin and Jason is brushing up on his mobile skills at the Appcelerator event in San Diego.  To round out the week I leave for Boulder, CO tomorrow where I will be graciously hosted by the Mayor of Boulder for the Meeting of The Minds event.

SeeClickFix entered the double digit head count this month with the hire of Dan Bernier, our new Rails Engineer.  It's weeks like this that remind us how much reach a small team can have with such a powerful platform.

Keep Hustlin' Team!

When a repair made by the city led to a huge headache for Charlotte, NC homeowner Ralph Bruce, SeeClickFix media partner WBTV stepped in to shine a light on his report and resolve the issue once and for all.

Ralph reported issue #116088 - The city did not repair my driveway after repairing a water pipe - after a city repair left his driveway, as well as his street, in shambles.

The city came out to repair a busted water pipe in front of my driveway. They had to break up my driveway to get to the pipe and has not repaired my driveway. I have made over ten calls to no avail. The crew that came out said that the city would have to contract a company out through the water department to repair the problem because of a brick wall that surround the driveway and the yard. The city not only left my driveway a mess but the street as well. Red mud is still in street because the cleaning crew did not do a good job cleaning the street. Please help me get the city back out to my house to correct this problem.

WBTV morning anchor John Carter was alerted of this issue thanks to the watch area and interactive widgets implemented by the outlet. He quickly got to work by contacting the city to see what could be done to address Ralph's driveway.


On August 16th, John reported an update to WBTV viewers on their morning broadcast.

I contacted the city and got a very fast response from the Charlotte Mecklenburg Utility Department. I'm told the city's asphalt/concrete contractor is scheduled to work on the driveway this week. The contractor wasn't able to get out there sooner due to other street restorations, according to the city. So the problem should be fixed this week.

We'll certainly keep you updated.

Unfortunately for Ralph, the week passed without a fix and his driveway was still a disaster.  As one week turned into two weeks and then three weeks, he again posted to SeeClickFix to let WBTV and WBTV viewers know the problem continued.



On Monday, thanks to Ralph's report and the persistence of WBTV, John Carter reported the update they had promised on their August 16th broadcast.

...as of today, the driveway is being fixed. Crews were out Monday making the repairs.

But what took so long?

While WBTV will be looking into why this fix took so long to complete, SeeClickFixer Ralph is happy to be saying TGIF(ixed)!


Can you think of a better way to kick-off your weekend? We didn't think so! A HUGE thank you to our superstar media partner WBTV for bringing us this amazing TGIF(ixed) issue. The whole SeeClickFix team is looking forward to hearing more updates and seeing more issues fixed thanks to your hard work!

Last Saturday, SeeClickFix teamed with the Westville Village Renaissance Alliance, the New Haven Parks Department, and other volunteers from around The Elm City to clean up a community eyesore. The Irving Gas station near the corner of Whalley Avenue and West Rock Avenue is nestled between two of New Haven's most prized public spaces - The West River Trail and Edgewood Park. Despite it's beautiful surrounds, the gas station has been severely neglected, with trash and weeds piling up along its shared border with the West River Trail for several years.

Increasingly frustrated with the state of the blighted property, SeeClickFix co-founder and Beaver Hills resident Jeff Blasius helped to spearhead the cleanup. Nearly a year after he posted Issue #46787 - Trash & Weeds - Jeff and nearly 20 other volunteers geared up to address the problem once and for all.

The Japanese Knotweed was taller than the volunteers clearing it!

Armed with pruning shears and some heavy-duty gardening equipment, volunteers cleared the invasive Japanese Knotweed off the West River Trail path and from around the riverbed. Others worked to pick up the years of garbage and broken glass strewn throughout the station grounds. Park Rangers from the New Haven Parks Department hiked up and down the West River next to the property to pull out all of the garbage that had collected there. Needless to say, there was a lot of work to be done and everyone kept busy!

Yes, that is a TV. Yes, we pulled it out of the West River. Yes, it's disgusting.

Within three hours, our teams had filled over 10 reusable dumpsters with weeds, trash and debris. The dumpsters and disposal of everything we cleaned was very generously donated by Westville company BullBag. As you can see below, we definitely needed a pretty big hand getting rid of everything...

Cleanup muscle c/o BullBag

While there is still work to be done at this location, SeeClickFix is proud to have been part of a huge first step towards fixing this problem for good. Our team will be working with WVRA and the New Haven Parks Department on future projects at this location, so check back here frequently for updates on how you can get involved too!

SeeClickFix co-founder Jeff couldn't be happier to see his issue being fixed.

We have some pretty exciting news, folks! SeeClickFix proudly announces its integration with Boston's work order system through its new Open 311 API. The connection--which went live on Friday--will enable citizens to communicate service requests directly into the city's existing CRM by reporting issues through the SeeClickFix platform:

• Website (Available at SeeClickFix.com/Boston)
• Widgets (Embedded on Boston.com Your Town pages)
• Mobile app (iPhone, Android, Blackberry)
• Facebook App 

Having already been launched in San Francisco and Washington, DC, Open311 refers to a 'standardized technology for location-based collaborative issue tracking,' or an open source data platform for 311 service requests. Through this open model, citizens can instantly provide more information to those responsible and help improve the city's environment along the way. More important, it empowers and engages the public to actively participate in civil society.

From now on, any issue reported through SeeClickFix's online and mobile interface will be fed directly into Boston's existing 311 system. With Open311 implemented, SeeClickFix can fully interact with and connect into the city's work order system. This SeeClickFix-Open311 connection gives Boston residents yet another channel through which they can report non-emergency concerns. With a few clicks, citizens can provide locational, descriptive, and photographic information about quality-of-life issues from potholes and graffiti to damaged signs and sidewalk patches. Once the resident submits an issue, it will  be communicated not only to the city, but also to the citizens it serves. With SeeClickFix's public platform, everyone can be kept informed in real time. The SeeClickFix-Open311 connection would not have been possible without the extraordinary efforts of SeeClickFix cofounder/CSO Kam Lasater.

This weekend SeeClickFix is teaming up with the Westville Village Renaissance Alliance to clean up an important gateway to Westville Village and to the West River Trail. Read all about our efforts below and come help us close Issue #120165 - Clean up the West River Trail - Saturday, September 10, from 9:30AM - 11:30AM!

WHAT? A community cleanup to improve the West River trail at the intersection of Whalley Avenue in the Westville neighborhood of New Haven. Volunteers are needed to assist with:

• Sweeping litter that collects along the edge of the paved trail.

• Trimming the Japanese Knotweed that grows over the trail.

• Sweeping the sidewalk along Whalley as it approaches the intersection of Whalley and the West River.

• Pulling debris from the river and river bank that hasn't been carried downstream by Hurricane Irene, including metal signs.

WHEN and WHERE? Saturday, September 10, from 9:30AM to 11:30AM. Volunteers will meet at the gazebo in Edgewood Park near the corner of Whalley and West Rock Ave. Convenient parking is just off West Rock Avenue in Edgewood Park, near the gazebo.

WHAT SHOULD I WEAR? Sturdy boots, sneakers or wellingtons and socks to protect against poison ivy and no-see-ums, insect repellent and work gloves.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING? If you have it, bring a good broom, or litter grabber. Check with us later this week to see what we still need, including shovels or pruning sheers. Bringing along family and friends is also definitely encouraged!

SHOULD I RSVP? Yes! Please shoot us an email at contact@seeclickfix.com to let us know that you're coming, or if you have any questions or concerns we can address.

Happy Friday, SeeClickFixers! It's been a busy week here at SCF World HQ, but we've made it through and are glad to be saying TGIF! This week, our TGIF(ixed) issue comes from Maureen in Rockville, Maryland, who helped a neighbor by getting a potentially dangerous dead tree removed.

When phone calls and web forms proved to be fruitless for her neighbor,  Maureen turned to SeeClickFix and reported Issue #119349 - Dead tree removal. 

my neighbor has been trying to get a dead tree removed since last fall but since it's under the power lines and on county property, both PEPCO and the county think it's someone else job. PEPCO only trims branches. The tree is on a street that borders an elementary school, children walk under it and it's so dead the bark is peeling off it.

What went unnoticed for nearly a full year when reported the old-fashioned way was resolved amazingly fast thanks to Maureen's report. Within one week of SeeClickFixin' her neighbors dead tree, she was able to close the issue with a great update!

It's only fitting that our TGIF(ixed) issue of the week hails from the State of Maryland, where officials recently embraced our social platform to help citizens throughout Hurricane Irene. SeeClickFix is thrilled to see this, and many other issues across the Chesapeake Bay State get fixed through our platform.

We hope everyone has a great weekend and can't wait to say TGIF(ixed) to your issues again next week!

By Jacob Apkon, Superstar SeeClickFix Intern

After seeing a 40% increase in population in just five years, the Leduc city government recognized the need to address the multitude of traffic challenges caused by this drastic increase in population. Local officials wanted to engage residents and encourage them to voice their opinions on ways to improve the flow of traffic. Luckily, there's an app (and online platform) for that!

On July 22, 2011, the City of Leduc (Alberta, Canada) announced its “Transportation Master Plan,” a way for citizens of the city to suggest ideas, solutions, and opinions based on four major categories: vehicle congestion, transit improvements, walking and cycling improvements, and other transportation related issues. Anyone is able to go on to their website and enter a suggestion or solution on how to improve transportation using the SeeClickFix map.

In less than one month, over 15 suggestions have been made. Leduc also offered a physical map of the city during one of the its festivals, so people without access to Internet or people who may have not seen the website were able to submit suggestions.

Earlier this year, Huntsville, AL also allowed citizens to suggest improvements to the city using SeeClickFix’s platform. The City of Huntsville used SeeClickFix to decide what stores and businesses to bring to town based on the citizens’ suggestions.

While Leduc is not the first city to use SeeClickFix’s maps as a platform to hear the suggestions of the citizens in order to improve the city, Leduc certainly expanded on the idea by allowing the people to voice their opinions on what the city could physically change, not just what the city could add. Hopefully, Leduc’s example will be replicated in the future, and cities will turn to the SeeClickFix map to hear suggestions and opinions on how to improve the city not just what needs fixing.

Chelsea, MA (August 30, 2011)- Non-emergency complaints can now be delivered with the click of a mouse thanks to a new service being offered by the City of Chelsea. This week, City Manager Jay Ash and members of the City Council announced that the City had entered into a contract with SeeClickFix to provide a place-based reporting platform that allows residents to document neighborhood concerns and needs, like potholes, graffiti, trash and overgrown vegetation.

“This is another great use of technology to help us connect with and better address the needs of residents,” stated Council President Vega.

“We continue to look for ways of connecting government with the governed, and SeeClickFix offers a great tool to engage residents and others in helping government to be more responsive and efficient,” added Manager Ash.

SeeClickFix allows citizens anywhere in the world to report and monitor non-emergency community issues ranging from potholes and planted trees to garbage and graffiti. Launched in 2008, it empowers citizens, community groups, media organizations, and governments to work together and improve their neighborhoods. Through mobile web, web, iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps, the SeeClickFix platform is the most widely distributed citizen reporting tool in the country. SeeClickFix is pleased to be offering the service in Chelsea.

“With this announcement, we’re honored to add Chelsea to our growing list of municipal partners in the commonwealth and across the nation,” said Ben Berkowitz, SeeClickFix CEO. “Our decentralized platform will help connect the city's residents with each other and their government—strengthening the lines of communication and transforming quality of life for everyone along the way.”

With the online reporting platform, individuals can report quality-of-life concerns through custom service request categories via SeeClickFix.com, Facebook, or a mobile application. Those reporting can simply click on one of the options to report a problem, and can also provide more details and even an image of their observation. Once someone submits an issue, the reporter and the City will receive email notifications. The City can then acknowledge the service request, route it to the proper department, and update the issue page once it has been resolved. Throughout the process, the reporter is kept notified of the progress the City is making to resolve the complaint.

“SeeClickFix is one way that we can improve our communication with the people we serve while also addressing issues in a timely fashion as they arise,” said Councillor Leo Robinson.

“By allowing the public to email us issues with pictures, our DPW or ISD can quickly assess the priority of the issues. This will help us be better informed and quicker to respond,” added Councillor Calvin Brown.

The partnership allows residents to not only report community issues, but also view, comment on, and vote to fix problems submitted by others. Citizens can even create their own “watch areas” to receive notifications about issues reported throughout the city or just in their neighborhood, enabling them to follow the progress of all service requests.

“This is another way we’re empowering the public to help us identify issues and hold us accountable for our actions,” suggested Councillor Brian Hatleberg. “It’s exactly what a transparent government should be doing more of.”

Over 40 percent of issues reported on SeeClickFix are ultimately resolved. Ash says the City will strive to do even better.

“Our department heads will prioritize the resolution of issues raised through SeeClickFix. Some will take longer to resolve, but all will get our attention,” concluded Ash.